Together with Project Luangwa we planned the days with lots of fun and educational activities, the kids could take turns being the guide, enjoyed the Lodge style meals and the swimming pool was the all time favourite!
For more pictures and details go to Project Luangwa’s website: http://www.projectluangwa.org/kidsinthewild

The rain stayed away for the whole of Christmas and we enjoyed great Safaris. On Christmas day we welcomed the guest back from the morning Safari with Champagne and snack and had a traditional Christmas lunch there after….a different Christmas.

For more information on the lions of the Mfuwe Area, read here Lions of Luangwa

Island Bush Camp has just like the valley changed subtly through the season. We started the season by changing the camp to be even more traditional and just a bit more comfortable but without compromising our truly traditional bush camp feel and with a wonderfully willing and enthusiastic team set about ensuring that guests were made to feel part of camp and not just visitors. Our guest comments book is a testament to how our guests have enjoyed our beautiful little camp and the experience of exploring the remote bush on walking safaris with our highly experienced and equally enthusiastic guides:

” Thank you for a wonderful experience at this paradise, Well run – excellent food – brilliant service, we felt very much at home.”

” Probably a sample of paradise.”

” A fantastic experience which we will never forget. The greatest three days , spectacular sun rise, spectacular sun sets and spectacular in between.”

Trough the season wildlife encounters have been interesting and exciting, our walking safaris have enthralled guests with insights in to the bush from smelling wild jasmine to tracking Lions, following the chattering call of  Honey guides or explaining the explaining multiple use’s of the plants and trees that grow here, our guides have conjured up some fascinating sightings. Often the wildlife has come to camp and through the year we have had almost nightly visits from Hyenas who’s antics although harmless to us humans would see items chewed or taken away altogether and so the first rule of camp became: No Binoculars or cameras to be left alone after dark !  Elephants also feature on the guest list with frequent visits much to the delight of our guests. The most extraordinary sighting in a season of extraordinary sightings occurred when as we sat in the sandy  below a colony of hundreds of Carmine bee eaters as the sun began to set  eleven Giraffe came down to  a steep bank to drink as they returned to the bush climbing steeply   one unlucky  giraffe slipped and fell backwards 3 mtrs vertically on to the sand where she lay unconscious for some time before eventually recovering, simply amazing.

As I am writing this article I can see clouds bubbling in the eastern sky which might herald rain, and this is our cue to begin thinking about getting ready to close camp for another rainy season. I hope you can join us next year to experience the real Zambia

But how exactly is the 3 ½ hours drive in the car?

Trying to answer this question, I jumped in the back of the car the other day to take the chance and see the bush camp-trip from a guests’ perspective. So I sat back and relaxed.

We started off at 7 in the morning. After ten minutes we had crossed the river, watching about 20 hippos bashing into the deeper part of their wet environment.

Shortly afterwards we followed small tracks leading towards Chichele hill and found a leopard dozing on a branch of one of the plentiful sausage trees in the area.

We left it there after some time and made our way to Zebra plain, passing hundreds of elephants on the way, including a few breeding herds with recently born babies.

Zebra Plain is about half way to the bush camp and, as the name suggests, is a big open plain with a wonderful view of the Nchindeni Hills behind, and usually full of Zebras and Pukus. Apart from those, we also observed an old giraffe bull making its graceful way from one acacia bush to the other.

Another half an hour further a small herd of buffaloes crossed our path, then, in the mopane forest, a martial eagle landed on a tree right next to us, not to mention dozens of impalas around every corner.

As soon as we crossed the Kapamba river, about 45 minutes away from our camp, another herd of elephants decided to stroll down for a drink.

From there on it’s a real bush track, impossible to find without one of our experienced guides. We crossed gullies, dry riverbeds and meandered around trees until we found ourselves on the vast open banks of the Luangwa River..and there..there on the other side it is. Another short boat crossing and you’re welcomed by our team with a cold drink. You have arrived at Island Bush camp!

But back to my question: how exactly was the drive?here’s the answer: magical.

But now, after four long months, they came back to show us what they’ve been hiding…Their puppies.

Most likely raised in dense Miombo Forest, closer to the Muchinga Escarpment, it is these months when they’re old and strong enough to follow the pack during their daily movements. And it is exactly those movements that make wilddogs so hard to find as they can cover several kilometres each day. Hence we were extremely lucky and delighted to see them last week!

Close to an area known to us as “Wakumba”, which is not far from our river crossing, five adult wilddogs with their five puppies decided to spend the whole day at a waterhole, at times sleeping, then chasing each other, and sometimes just playing in the water. All our guests had the wonderful opportunity to watch all of this, before the rare carnivores decided to go hunting as the sun was setting.

We hope they’ll be back soon!

Known to some of our guests from last year already, she’s still reigning her wonderful territory of riverine forest and open plains. Being frequently active both, day and night, and showing an amazing tolerance towards our vehicles, she allows extraordinary insights into an otherwise very secretive life of a leopard.
With a bit of luck, you might see her on your next visit!